Requesting certificates via Certificate Enrollment Web Service (CES) fails with error code "ERROR_WINHTTP_INVALID_CA".

Assume the following scenario:

• You try to request a certificate via a Certificate Enrollment Web Service (CEP) from an Active Directory-integrated certification authority (Enterprise Certification Authority).
• The operation fails with the following error message:

The certificate authority is invalid or corrupt. 0x80072f0d (WinHttp: 12045 ERROR_WINHTTP_SECURE_INVALID_CA)

The Certificate Enrollment Web Services (Certificate Enrollment Policy Web Service, CEP, and Certificate Enrollment Web Service, CES) enable the automatic request and renewal of certificates from a certification authority via a Web-based interface. This eliminates the need to contact the certification authority directly via Remote Procedure Call (RPC). For a more detailed description, see the article "Certificate request basics via Certificate Enrollment Web Services (CEP, CES)„.

Possible causes

Do you know TameMyCerts? TameMyCerts is an add-on for the Microsoft certification authority (Active Directory Certificate Services). It extends the function of the certification authority and enables the Application of regulationsto realize the secure automation of certificate issuance. TameMyCerts is unique in the Microsoft ecosystem, has already proven itself in countless companies around the world and is available under a free license. It can downloaded via GitHub and can be used free of charge. Professional maintenance is also offered.

Possible causes can be:

• The client does not trust the HTTPS (HTTP over Secure Socket Layer, SSL) certificate on the CEP or CES server. Most often, this is because the parent root certificate is not trusted. This must therefore still be imported into the Trusted Root Certification Authorities store.